The Way of the Cherry Blossom
by Quills and Steels
Summary: Needing solace after the ordeal with Sarah, Jareth returns Aboveground to visit one of the girls who had lost his Labyrinth. But thirty years have past, now Jareth must learn a few new lessons. And his teacher none other than Ayame's Daughter Kameko. J.OC
1. Preface

Preface:

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The snow fell softly on the bare limbs of the sakura that framed the side of the little Okiya on the edge of the hanamachi. The sounds of the many Geisha inside drifted out of the window and could be heard many houses down. It was not the pleasant sound which normally echoed through the hanamachi, not the sound of the Geisha practicing the shamisen or even the sweet sound of their wooden shoes as they left to entertain clients. The raised voices were filled with anger and hate, and something else, something heartbreaking…..distress, or was it sorrow. Either way it was overwhelming.

"Ayame! Do you understand what disgrace you have brought this okiya? We are geisha not oiran, we do not sell our bodies!" Mother Shinju pulled back the small blanket which held the newly born child. She winced and roughly tossed the blanket back over the little face.

"But Okaa-san I didn't! You know I didn't! It wasn't my fault." Ayame clutched her little daughter to her chest, it wasn't her fault. Not really. She had trusted Katsuo, he had promised to one day become her Danna. She allowed herself something most other geisha worked hard to keep from, she fell in love. She didn't sell her body for fine silk kimonos, she didn't sell it for trinkets or hair combs. She gave it away for love. She had been foolish, and now there she was with a child in her arms, no Danna and Katsuo nowhere to be found.

"Oh it isn't? So you had no part in letting that man touch you? Your Onee-san Mayu has told me of the many nights you have spent with him, I doubt this would have gone on as long as it has if you did not want it." Mother swished her kimono as she moved about the wash room. She wasn't a cruel Geisha mother, she loved all the girls in her little okiya. But hers was not the most prominent okiya in the hanamachi. Her Geisha barely brought in enough money to feed and clothe them, this was the reason she had always been so strict with her girls. They couldn't afford to care for a child.

"Okaa-san please forgive me, I…." Ayame trailed off as the child in her arms began to stir. Mother sighed and shook her head.

"Ayame I do not know why I keep you around. You have no Danna. You are still in debt, haven't even paid off your purchase price. And now you bring in a child, another mouth to feed?! If it weren't for the promise I made your father I would sell you to the whore houses!" With that she left, she cursed herself sometimes for the deals she made. Ayame was beautiful and would have made much, but the Geisha were in decline and there were much more talented girls out there in much richer okiyas. Her little Geisha family house was as many put it, "quaint". Had they money enough to eat she wouldn't have cared that a few of her girls find themselves "companions", but times were lean and now there was a new child in the okiya. At least she could have hope that the girl would go to become a great geisha.

"I can't believe you! You have shamed Mother and you have shamed me. One thing I want to know Ayame, how did you keep this from us so long?" Mayu slipped into the room from just outside where she had been listening in.

"Onee-san I have done nothing that you have not done yourself, why do you reprimand me? I know about the child, your son. You gave birth to him when I was just a little girl, before I became your little sister. I watched everyday, Mother did not know you were very good at hiding it." Mayu cringed, how could she have known? She had taken great care to hide it. Something she had been taught by her Onee-san because of the strictness of Mother.

"You little….! Don't ever mention that again! I was at least smart to have the child away from the okiya and give the thing away. Now because of you all geisha here will be watched much more closely. We are already less free than other geisha!" Mayu unconsciously slipped her hand to cover her womb, she wasn't proud of what she had done. But for the sake of everyone she had to do it, just as Ayame.

"Onee-san?" Ayame held her daughter closer, the look in her big sister's eyes was disconcerting.

"Because of your deceit we have no time to find someone to take the child. Give it to me!" Mayu held out her hands but Ayame pulled away. What was wrong with her? Did she really expect her to let her do what she was planning?

"You can not keep the thing….I wonder…." Mayu leaned into the young geisha and child, she had heard of a story from the west. She was never that much of a believer in the old ways. Her mind was open to new ideas, and this was something she had wondered about since hearing the stories a few years ago.

"Maybe there is a way to be rid of the thing without killing it. All you have to do is wish it away." Ayame started bouncing the little one in her arms as she backed away.

"I will not get rid of my child!" Mayu rushed at her and pulled the child from her arms. She picked up a small pillow and glared at Ayame.

"What is it to be?"

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Ayame made her way through the Labyrinth, she had less then ten minutes left and she was still stuck in the courtyard with the wise man. She had just ran to the small closer with the two doors when she heard his voice.

"Time is up, the child stays." Jareth stood just in front of the stone chair the wise man always used. He watched as the little geisha slowly walked towards him. Out of all the girls who had ever wished their children away she was the only one he wanted to solve the Labyrinth. He knew what had happened, that she had been forced to wish the child away. But he could not control what had started, and he could not help.

"But…my daughter?" Ayame thought she would die right there, she had lost her child. She had not even been able to give her a name.

"She will be taken very well care of I promise. Ayame don't cry……" Jareth clenched his fists, he had never said to anyone ever what he was about to say to her now.

"Ayame I'm sorry." She nodded slowly as she felt his gloved hand slip under her chin.

"I could make you forget…" She gazed up into his deep eyes, it seemed unreal she could feel like she could trust the man who was taking her daughter away. But he wasn't a monster and had even voiced his respect for her, it was Mayu who had done this to her.

"No, I want to remember." Jareth took in a breath as he sent her back to the little okiya in Japan. In all his years he had never respected a mortal as much as he did that girl, she was the first out of all that had wished the child away to save it from death. He knew he would never forget her, and he vowed that he would care for her daughter. There was no lesson to be learned by her, the innocent hadn't the need for punishment.

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Authors' Note: Ok first off when it comes to the Geisha, we don't know too much about the culture. We tried to study up on it as much as we could, so please forgive us if we get something wrong, we are human and do make mistakes.

Now this story sort of just happened because of Rhia's love of Jareth and Japanese culture, and Nerds suggesting we take Jareth out of his element. This will be somewhat of a different story, and we know Jareth doesn't seem to act in character at times, such as this preface and the way he treated Ayame. But believe me it will be the same old arragant Jareth we know and love.

Ok, well we are working on the first chapter now, so hopefully look for it in a couple of days.

Disclaimer: Nope don't own a thing from the movie, don't ask us cause we don't own them!


	2. When The Dreamer Wakes

When the Dreamer Wakes:

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Jareth peered deeply into the dark eyes of the young girl. A confident, almost arrogant, smile graced his lips. There would be no chance of being denied, not after all that had occurred during her stay in the Labyrinth.

True, she was young and naive. She was also stubborn and inventive; she had overcome obstacles that others failed to even attempt. And she would be his.  
Producing a crystal sphere of perfect clarity and shape, he held it teasingly before her as his mismatched eyes burned the memory of her features into his mind. 

"Look what I am offering you, your dreams."  
Her lips began moving, but her words were too soft to catch. 

"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you... And you can have everything that you want."  
She muttered something to herself, swearing when she forgot the words. 

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave," he murmured in a low tone.  
Finally, she remembered the words, spoke them, and his world crumbled.

He idly spun a crystal around his palm before tossing it across to the opposing wall, listening to it shatter. He was exhausted after another sleepless night of tossing and turning. His mood had not improved since she rejected his magnanimous offer. Most of the goblins he ruled now ran in terror when they heard the footfalls of his riding boots. Many had suffered his wrath for being underfoot, occasionally resulting in being kicked down the stairs that lead to the throne room. 

Another crystal shattered. 

His luncheon had long grown cold on the small table that resided beside his desk. He hadn't touched today's meals either, finding himself not in the least hungry. He closed his eyes against the sun that peered out weakly from behind storm clouds that cast long shadows over the Labyrinth. 

Another crystal shattered. 

Absently he reached for the first of the scrolls that cluttered his desk, shoving all other papers onto the floor before propping up his feet on the ancient wood. He leaned back against the high back of his chair, balancing on the back two legs of the chair. His head rolled back, his spiky blonde locks falling in his eyes. With a sigh he opened the scroll and began to read. 

"The Queen of the Kirin announces the birth of her first child," he absently muttered out loud, his eyes skimming the parchment. "A son called Antranig, heir of the Kirin kingdom." 

Pale lashes drifted over mismatched eyes as he relaxed the grip on the parchment, letting it fall into his lap. 

"The Kirin...well, it does seem as if Michiko has done well for herself," he commented, shattering another crystal. 

The faint noise it made as it hit the opposite wall was unheard by the Goblin King. He had paused, leaning forward on his elbows. Michiko. His eyes narrowed in thought and he closed his eyes. Quickly he transformed into an owl and flew out the window. 

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Ayame leaned down over the little girl that had already snuggled herself down within the covers. She laughed thinking on the child's antics that day. She was so much like her mother was.

Ayame began to sing a soft little song to the child, a few stray tears slipping silently and unnoticed down her cheeks. Her voice trailed off as the child fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Mother why do you cry when you put Sora to bed? As a child I remember you crying as you sang me to sleep. Why are you always so sad?" Ayame let her fingers linger over the child's face as she looked at her daughter.

"Kameko have you ever heard the western tale of the land of fairies?" She nodded her head; modern Japan was very different than the Japan her mother grew up in. Some said it had become to westernized, but then again the whole world was mixing too much. Even the westerners were loosing their culture as they added others into theirs. Soon one place would be no different than the other.

"Of course, remember I did live in America for three years before I realized where I belonged." Ayame stood from the floor where she had been kneeling before her granddaughter. She smoothed out her kimono and gracefully slipped past her daughter.

"Come with me Kameko, I most likely should have told you this a long time ago. But I must tell you a story of a kind man who had to play the monster, and the real monster who played the role of a big sister." 

Perched on a nearby sakura branch, an owl folded its wings, its head tilting to one side. This small temple seemed a safe haven in the late night's wanderings. He knew this was where she resided now. The dew was fresh and shining in the moonlight and a light wind rustled through the trees. For now he was content to watch. To watch and to wait for a glimpse of her. Then he would decide how to proceed. One thing was for certain, however. He simply had to see her. 

Kameko just stared at her mother, Goblin Kings and large stone mazes?! She shook her head and slipped out of the little temple to walk in the small garden where she had learned many a lesson about patience. She knew her mother had a hard life, before her father died he used to scold her for getting cross with her mother. Always saying this was not what she was raised to be. She had always thought her mother hated her and her father because she was suppose to be Geisha. She was used to lavish kimonos and dancing and serving tea, and now she was caring for a child in a small house on the outskirts of the village. It wasn't until her father died when she was seven she realized it had been far from missing the Geisha life that had been bothering her. That you she hadn't realized the struggle for those after the war, it made sense that her Geisha mother wouldn't want to care for a child then. Even the larger Okiya had little money.

She passed by the sakura and ran her fingers over the blossoms, so beautiful, and so fleeting. It wouldn't be long before they would be gone. This was a lesson she hadn't learn till her little Sora was born. She sighed returning into the temple that had been her home since her father died. She needed time to think on what her mother had said.

His eyes focused on her fingers tracing over the sakura blossoms. Truly she had not changed one feature since he last saw her. She was captivating and alluring with the pale moonlight reflecting in her dark hair as her delicate fingers withdrew from the sakura blossoms. 

Unable to resist, he alighted from the tree branch, returning to his aristocratic form and silently walking up behind her, never shifting his gaze from the beautiful woman stood lost in thought. 

Kameko slipped her shoes off one by one returning her feet to the soft slippers worn within the temple. She stopped before taking the last step inside. She felt someone behind her. Slowly she turned to meet the chilly eyes of the intruder.

She stood shaking, her balance failing her as she fell to her knees. She watched in horror as the man just watched her, his eyes so cold she shivered. 

"Surely I don't frighten you that much," Jareth arched an eyebrow at the woman before him. "For you I was not the villain and I am not the villain now."

Kameko tried to back away, but while her kimono was much simpler than her mother's it still got in the way.

"Ar-are you seeking sanctuary?" She stuttered the first thing that came to mind. Many who came to the temple were like them, simply seeking sanctuary. He had to be some western traveler looking for a place to sleep and rest for a few days. Surely he had to be, for he couldn't be who she believed. 

He pondered her words..._Seeking sanctuary_...Perhaps, in a way, he was. He sought to forget, to spend time with one who never truly left his mind. 

"And if I am?" he asked in a low tone, a faint smile playing across his lips. "Are you the angel who can grant me such peace?" 

Kameko shivered at his voice, it really couldn't be him. Her mother was getting senile in her old age. What she had told her was just the result of the loss of her mind, the man standing before her could not be the same man from her mother's story.

"I am no angel, but if it is peace which you seek….." She paused as she looked up into his eyes, his eyes!

"If it is peace which you seek, than Jareth you shall find it here, my old friend." Ayame stepped behind her daughter, the moonlight casting shadows on her now wrinkled face. 

Jareth started at being called by name, especially by this woman who bore a look of familiarity, but he was unable to pinpoint who she was. It was then that his eyes passed from one woman to the other.

"I am honored for your hospitality, Ayame," he addressed the elder woman with a stately bow. "I trust I have met your daughter," his eyes shifted to the young woman as they bore a knowing expression. "She does you credit. Simply beautiful, just like her mother." 

Ayame smiled as stepped forward so she could get a better look at Jareth.

"This is Kameko." She lifted a hand to direct at her daughter. Kameko looked at her mother before her eyes returned to the strange man. Noting her mother's expression she stood and bowed to Jareth.

"Excuse me sir, I did not realize who you were. Please forgive me for my insolence." Ayame stood silently waiting for what Jareth would do. 

In two strides he was standing directly before Kameko, watching her eyes shift so they were not watching him directly. He smirked to himself as he caught her small hand in his gloved one, brushing his thumb over the back of her palm before lifting it to his lips. 

"Beauty like insolence is in the eye of the beholder. And I have accused you of nothing except being beautiful." 

She lifted her head to watch him raise her hand to his lips. She remained calm, well as calm as one could when a fairy tale creature was before you.

"Then if you will excuse me, I shall get a place for you to sleep ready." Ayame sighed, seeing Jareth after this long just made the memories of her lost daughter the stronger. 

Jareth held Kameko's small hand in his, keeping his eyes locked with hers. He could read the apprehension in her eyes and feel the shock of his presense coursing through her veins. 

_So Ayame tells her daughter stories of me, does she?_ he mused to himself as he allowed his thumb to gently caress the area of her hand he had just kissed. However, tormenting the daughter would need to wait. He desperately wished to converse with Ayame. He loosened his grip on her hand, allowing his fingers to trace hers as he dropped his hand. 

Without further word Kameko left to prepare one of the spare rooms. Ayame waited till her daughter was gone before she turned to Jareth.

"Shall we take a walk in the gardens?" 

"I should enjoy a walk about your terrain, Ayame," Jareth stately offered his arm to the woman, setting his hand atop of hers. "What path shall we walk?" 

Ayame smiled and leaned a little onto Jareth, she was getting older and her bones were not as strong as they once were.

"Take me by the sakura, it is lovely this time of year." 

Jareth steered them in the proper direction, waiting for her to say something. Time had certainly passed quickly since he last saw her. She was still beautiful, but she was not the young woman who had first captured his attention. However, all her physical traits that he once found so appealing had been passed along to her daughter. Jareth shifted his eyes and could catch a glimpse of Kameko bending to remove her shoes before entering the temple.

Her long hair glistening in the moonlight, her small frame straightening once both small shoes were removed and set beside the archway. She disappeared into the darkness that engulfed the inside of the temple. 

He shifted his gaze back to her mother. So she did manage to move on, to have other children...but did she find happiness as well? He would find the answers to these questions, but he would not broach the subject himself. 

"It has been over thirty years Jareth. I never thought I would see you again. Why have you come after so long? What..." She trailed off, she wanted to ask about her daughter. What had happened to her after she returned to the little okiya? Had she been adopted by a family, or had she just moved from place to place. She dearly wanted to know her dreams and desires, had she married. And most of all did she know of her? But she could not ask, the answers would not make her feel better. She shook her head slightly and rested it on Jareth's shoulder as they walked. 

"I suppose I have come because the Labyrinth is taxing. There is no peace there. Goblins underfoot and wrecking my palace," Jareth answered her, turning his head so it slightly rested on hers.

"I also bear news of Michiko. She is to bear a son, Antranig, I believe is his name, the heir of the Kirin kingdom." He paused, knowing she could not fathom who Michiko was; this made him smile.

"I thought perhaps you would wish to know these things." 

The silk of Ayame's kimono rustled as Jareth led her around the garden. She sighed softly at the mention of the Kirin. She had often wondered about the Underground and whether or not there were other kingdoms. So Japan's myths were real.

"Michiko? Such a pretty name for a queen." Pausing under the sakura Ayame turned to look at Jareth.

"But these are not the reasons you have really come is it?" She noted the look in his eyes. He had not changed a day since she had first met him. Though now he looked tired, it was more than the goblins.

"Do not worry, you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish. And you do not have to tell me the real reason. Just know I am here if you have need to speak." She lifted her hand to his face, her now aging fingers trailing across his cheek and lips.

"You haven't changed a bit Your Majesty." She smiled thinking back to the Labyrinth. He had been kind to her, something she had not expected from the villain. 

Jareth bore her inspection of his cheeks and lips mildly. No one had ever traced over his features so tenderly. He wanted to tell her of Michiko, and all her vast accomplishments, but knew now was not the time. 

He searched her eyes, still finding the spirit and grace that had first captured his attention. Ayame was a remarkable woman, that he had to admit. And just being in her presence was soothing his berated and weary heart. Anguish and sleeplessness seemed to fade, even though he'd only been at the temple such a short amount of time. He knew this was the right decision. 

Kameko watched as her mother and this man walked around the garden. The way the two held onto each other was strange, like a couple who had been together for years. Her eyes widened as she saw her mother trace his face, she had never seen her mother act this way. Not even with her father.

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Ayame dropped her hand to rest on his chest, her head following as she closed her eyes. Standing there in his arms she was suddenly back in the Labyrinth fighting for her child. A few tears forced themselves from her lids to fall on her tiny feet. 

Jareth wound his arms carefully around Ayame's small form, holding her closely. He could feel a few tears stain his shirt, but for once he didn't care. He had never wanted anyone to beat the Labyrinth before, not even the latest girl with her long dark hair and fantastic theatrical dreams could hold a candle to Ayame. 

There was so much he wished to say to her. However words were not necessary now. As tenderly as possible, he ran his hands lightly up and down her back, trying to ease the pain of the memories that always haunted her. 

Kameko took a step from the temple, she did not wish to disterb her mother but it was getting late. She waited a moment before walking fully out.

"Excuse me Mother, Your Majesty, but I have prepared the room for you to sleep." She bowed slightly as she waited for an answer.

Ayame lifted her head and wiped away a few tears on her cheeks.

"Please excuse me Jareth I don't normally do this. Come now, you look tired. You should rest and in the morning we can speak again." She pulled just slightly from his embrace and took his arm waiting for him to lead the way back to the temple. 

The temple was small and dark, lit only by a few candles. Jareth allowed Ayame to lead him through the corridors, knowing it was her daughter's soft footsteps that fell behind them. 

Ayame had changed a great deal since he last beheld her. She was much older, her daughter nearing the age when her mother set foot in the Labyrinth. Surely Kameko would never have to do such a thing...Ayama would have seen to that. 

Jareth thought about Michiko. Even without her mother, she had grown into a graceful and beautiful young woman. Jareth had always held her as his favorite, out of his reverence for the small woman who had borne so much in hopes of getting her baby girl back safely. 

He glanced down at his gloved hands, noticing the slight bulge that disfigured the slender pinkie finger. He smiled a small smile, thinking that he would bestow this ring upon Ayame during his stay with her...whether or not he would reveal Michiko wore a similiar one would be left to another day. 

Ayame stopped, causing Jareth to pull away from his thoughts. 

"You may sleep here. I will be only a few rooms down. But if you need anything Kameko sleeps just in that room. She will tend on you whatever you need." She pointed to a room just across from where they stood.

Kameko shivered slightly, from what her mother told her he was actualy nice. But still he was a fantasy creature.

"Goodnight Jareth." Ayame slipped back and bowed slightly before leaving to find rest herself. Kameko waited until her mother was gone before nodding to Jareth and backing away slowly unsure whether she should leave or not. 

Jareth noted that Kameko looked hesitantly upon him. Perhaps her mother had told her the story of the Labyrinth. It would explain the look of disbelief in her eyes. With a bow to Kameko he smiled, his eyes gleaming with hidden mischief. 

"Good night, Kameko," he drawled with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I hope your dreams bring pleasure." With one final glance over his shoulder, and a wicked gleam in his eye, he disappeared into his dark chambers. 

Kameko shook and slipped into her room, she pushed Jareth's last comments from her mind as her gaze fell on her daughter, Sora.

She kneeled beside the bed and ran her hand over the little girl's face. Her skin was much lighter than her's and her hair slightly red. Sora's father had been an American. Tall with a head of bright red hair that denoted his family's Irish heritage. She pulled away from her daughter not wishing to think on her late husband. Though as she laid herself down she knew her dreams would be plagued with thoughts of that night. 

He did not know what possessed him to look into the dreams of the temple's inhabitants. He supposed it was some sort of compelling curiosity as to how much Ayame had changed and what her daughter was truly like.

In the first crystal, he saw Ayame, fast asleep. At a first glance, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Jareth noted the trails down her cheeks left by coursing tears. He set his lips to the crystal, closing his eyes. He let out a low laugh as he watched Ayame smile in her sleep, pulling her pillow closer to her.

The second crystal he gazed into showed Kameko and a small child. _Child?_ Jareth looked again. Surely enough, Kameko held a small girl in her arms protectively. A second later, Kameko pushed the little girl away and began to toss and turn fitfully in her sleep. Jareth's eyes widened in surprise. What secrets of her past was Kameko hiding? With a mischevious gleam in his eye, he pressed his lips to this crystal. However, he didn't watch the effects it produced on Kameko. Those he would discover in the morning.

With a third crystal, he sent dreams to the little one in Kameko's bed. She was a tiny little thing with reddish tints to her hair and the fairest skin he'd seen. _Beautiful child._ In a way, this little one reminded him of Michiko.

Finally, the Goblin King kicked off his boots and lay down on his bed, pulling his shirt over his head and the blankets up to his waist. The cool breeze of the night's air drifted through the windows of his room. He was soon asleep. 

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Authors' Note: Hehe sorry it took so long to get this one out. We have both been busy with other stories and for Rhiannon taking photos for her stock account and Nerds falling asleep at her computer. We hope it won't be so long for the next chapter, but we can't promise anything.

Disclaimer: Please check out the author's page for full disclaimer, but no we don't own it! 


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